Maunawili Falls and Moss Slides

by kenji SAITO on February 15, 2015

Hiking Maunawili Falls and Moss Slides

Met up with Glenn, Jose and Thessa in the Maunawili neighborhood for our hike today.

Maunawili Valley

Maunawili Valley

We started off the beaten path. Away from the crowds. What crowds?

Red ginger

Red ginger

All we needed were anthuriums, lotus pods, papyrus and ruscus.

Stream crossing

Stream crossing

Thessa trying not to get her feet wet.

Tree fungi

Tree fungi

Colorful tree fungi populated the decaying tree trunks that littered the valley floor.

Going uphill

Going uphill

We followed the meandering stream through the valley until the trail took us to higher ground.

Ko'olau Mountains

Ko’olau Mountains

Scenic spot. Clear day on the mountains.

Falls junction

Falls junction

A bench marked the junction down to the waterfalls.

Going down

Going down

Thessa and Jose making their way down.

No traffic

No traffic

We met up with the stream again. No other soul was in sight. Early hikers gets the trail all to themselves.

Maunawili stream

Maunawili stream

The cold, clear waters gurgled down the rock strewn stream.

Maunawili Falls

Maunawili Falls

Group photo left to right: Glenn, myself, Thessa and Jose.

Going up

Going up

No cliff diving today, served with a side of leptospirosis, so we climbed the trail to the left of the falls.

Looking down

Looking down

We heard voices coming up from the waterfalls. Tom?

Pipe crossing

Pipe crossing

Local style. Taking our shoes off before we cross the pipe.

Rickety bridge

Rickety bridge

Crossing the metal and wooden bridge was something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Or just a typical bridge crossing in Central America according to Jose.

Looking back

Looking back

Glenn waiting to come down.

What happened to the planks?

What happened to the planks?

We had to straddle the creaking and swaying bridge as most of the rotten wooden planks were missing.

One at a time

One at a time

Another group soon joined us at the bridge crossing. They turned out to be Brian, Marc and Scott. Small island.

Follow the ditch

Follow the ditch

We continued by following the open irrigation ditch, which lead us to…

Moss slides

Moss slides

…Nature’s playground.

Testing the waters

Testing the waters

Scott and Marc tried the left bumpier slide, while Glenn went down the right smoother slide.

Slip 'n Slide

Slip ‘n Slide

My turn. Half a dozen times. Photo by Thessa Bugay.

Who's next?

Who’s next?

Group photo left to right: Scott, Brian, myself, Marc, Jose, Thessa and Glenn.

Going back

Going back

Thessa crossing the pipe back to the bridge.

Follow the blue ribbons

Follow the blue ribbons

We decided to follow the irrigation pipe up the hill, instead of going back down to the waterfalls.

Watch the stump

Watch the stump

50 Shades of Hiking.

Hill slide

Hill slide

Dried palm fronds underneath our footing made for a slippery slope down to the stream.

Muddy waters

Muddy waters

We passed streams of hikers making their way to the waterfalls.

GPS Tracks

GPS Tracks

The 3.25 mile hike to the falls and moss slides was a fun day and met up with some old and new hiking buddies. Now it was off to explore another waterfall in Manoa.

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